Apollinaris (water) facts for kids
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| Country | Germany/USA |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Coca-Cola |
| Source | Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler |
| Type | sparkling |
| pH | 5.8 |
| Calcium (Ca) | 90 |
| Chloride (Cl) | 130 |
| Bicarbonate (HCO3) | 1800 |
| Fluoride (F) | 0.7 |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 120 |
| Nitrate (NO3) | 1.6 |
| Potassium (K) | 30 |
| Sodium (Na) | 470 |
| Sulfate (SO4) | 100 |
| TDS | 1600 |
| Website | apollinaris-gmbh.de |
| All concentrations in milligrams per liter (mg/L); pH without units | |
Apollinaris is a naturally sparkling mineral water that comes from a special spring in Bad Neuenahr, Germany. It was first found in 1852. This water became very popular in Europe and was known as the top table water until around World War II. Today, the famous brand is owned by the Coca-Cola company.
The Story of Apollinaris Water
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The Apollinaris spring was found by accident in 1852. It was on Georg Kreuzberg's vineyard in Bad Neuenahr, Germany. He named the spring after St Apollinaris of Ravenna, who is a patron saint of wine. The water came from a rocky place about 50 feet deep.
In 1872, a medical journalist named Ernest Hart suggested Apollinaris water to a publisher named George Murray Smith. Soon after, in 1873 or 1874, Smith's business partner, Edward Steinkopff, started a company in England just to sell this water. The Apollinaris Company Ltd. had its offices in London.
Edward Steinkopff was the chairman, and Julius Prince was the managing director. Under their leadership, Apollinaris quickly became the most popular natural table water in the world.
Many famous people enjoyed Apollinaris. It was the favorite mineral water of Otto von Bismarck, a very important German leader. The poet Guillaume Apollinaire even thought of it as "his" special water. He once challenged a writer to a duel for making fun of his choice!
In 1895, the company started using its famous red triangle symbol and the slogan "The Queen of Table Waters." In 1897, Steinkopff and his partners sold the business to a hotel owner named Frederick Gordon for a lot of money. Julius Prince stayed on as managing director for many years. Later, during World War II, one of the directors of Apollinaris was George Alexander 'Pop' Hill, who worked for a special group in Moscow.
By 1913, the company was making 40 million bottles of water every year. About 90% of these bottles were sent to countries all over the world.
From the mid-1930s until 1945, during World War II, the Apollinaris company in Germany was controlled by the government at that time. The water was bottled at a factory called Rheinahr Glasfabrik. This factory was founded in 1907.
Today, the Apollinaris spring and brand are owned by Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola bought it from another big company, Cadbury-Schweppes, in 2006.
Apollinaris and Sports
In the 1950s and 1960s, Apollinaris helped organize fun beach games in Belgium. They worked with the Torck factories from Deinze, Belgium, to create these games, which were called "Les Rois du Volant" or "De Koningen der Baan."
